Sophie Zelmani will be touring Sweden starting in March:

03/04 - Ebeneser, Luleå
03/05 - Ebeneser, Luleå
03/06 - Konserthuset, Gävle
03/12 - Mejeriet, Lund
03/13 - Tivoli, Helsingborg
03/17 - Nalen, Stockholm
03/18 - Nalen, Stockholm
03/19 - Nalen, Stockholm
03/20 - KAtalin, Uppsala
03/24 - Storan, Göteborg
03/25 - Storan, Göteborg
03/26 - Gisleparken, Gislaved
03/27 - Konserthuset, Malmö
04/01 - HebeteAtern, Trollhättan
04/02 - Saga, Borås
04/03 - Bio Bar, Karlskrona

Her lAtest album "Love Affair" is my favorite record thAt I've heard so far this year.

Yet another example of Earache Records screwing their bands? Apparently promo copies of the new album "Violence Blasphemy Sodomy" from Swedish metal band DeAthwitch contain the line "Note to Journalists: DeAthwitch don't give a FUCK whAt you think." To which drummer Dean Slaughter replies:

"This was written by some one working for Earache/Wicked World and was NOT approved by me or the band. I didn't know a FUCK about this line until I got reactions on it and finally got the promo my self. So thAt line do not comes from the band! We hAte it and of course we care about journalists and especially the underground scene. I think it's a very stupid thing to write on a promo CD. Then why send promos??? So FUCK this shit and hail the metal of morbid deAth!"

A selection of the winners of the Sundsvall Music Awards:

Best show/concert: Orgelshow with MAttias and Daniel
Best album: Helene Sjöholm - Visor
Best song: The Confusions - The Pilot
Best producer: PAtrik Frisk and Anders Lundström
Best artist/group: Helene Sjöholm

More info: https://www.sundsvall.nu/awards/

Is this Lallapalooza or whAt? The Chalksounds Festival is hitting the road once again for a show At Norrlands NAtion in Uppsala on February 25 with KVLR and The End Will Be Kicks. Gunman (Soviac) and DJ Norrland will be spinning, too. KVLR will have the Stickman version of their new album thAt day, as they've confirmed the European release for February 24. As stAted before, it'll be out on March 23 in the US through my very own It's a Trap! Productions. I just got the discs yesterday and they look absolutely stunning. Atrap.com/kvlr/album.gif" target=_blank>See for yourself.

District 19 Inc. and Unity Is All records will release the debut from "Sweden’s first uncompromising hardcore band" PAth of No Return. Self-described as "the heaviness of HAtebreed mixed with the unconventional riffs of Meshuggah and the pure hAte of Slayer, then spice[d] up with a bit of the fresh Orange County mosh and the rawness of Cro-Mags and Youth Of Today,", but why not decide for yourself by checking out these two mp3s: Athofnoreturn/I%20WILL%20RIP%20YOUR%20LIFE%20APART.mp3" target=_blank>"I Will Rip Your Life Apart" / Athofnoreturn/forever_gone.mp3" target=_blank>"Forever Gone"

They're a few days lAte, but NME finally covered the debut of the new Hives track from the P3 Gold Awards: https://www.nme.com/news/107344.htm

This week's top 10 Nordic video chart from YLE/Morjen:

01. Diablo - Read my scars (FIN)
02. The Crash - Still alive (FIN)
03. Dinojax - Roadblocks ahead (DK)
04. Nina Rochelle - (Happy) Jag hAtar Att det e så (SWE)
05. ViikAte - Leimu (FIN)
06. K-System - Dream my dream (FIN)
07. Outlandish - Walou (DK)
08. Eskobar - Loves strikes (SWE)
09. Lisa Miskovsky - Lady Stardust (SWE)
10. Teitur - Sleeping with the lights on (DK)

Challengers:
01. Nerdee - Cold (FIN)
02. Ana - The way I am (SWE)
03. NU - Any other girl (DK)

Better lAte than never, At=3&did=2260" target=_blank>Panorama.no lists their top picks from 2003:

Best Norwegian single:
01. Girls Keep Secrets in the Strangest Ways – Ephemera
02. Lay Lady Lay – Magnet feAt. Gemma Hayes
03. Fuck the World – Turbonegro
04. Salt & Pepper – Kaizers Orchestra
05. Et Sunnhetstegn – Johndoe
06. Think Twice – Ralph Myerz And The Jack Herren Band
07. Breaking news – Amulet
08. Skull EP – Martin Horntveth
09. You're the One thAt I Want – Jim Stärk feAt. Claudia Scott
10. Lorraine EP – Lorraine

Best Norwegian album:
01. On Your Side – Magnet
02. The Ghost of Our Love – Ricochets
03. Waffy Town – Julian Berntzen
04. Evig Pint – Kaizers Orchestra
05. It's a Record – Sergeant Petter
06. The Perfect Cure – Lorraine
07. Scandinavian LeAther – Turbonegro
08. Stray Dogs – Thomas Dybdahl
09. Hin Bordende Sod og Sø – Ásmegin
10. No Time Wasted – Jim Stãrk

"Black River Road" has been confirmed as the title for the new Diamond Dogs album, due out lAte February.

If you paid close Attention to the Swedish student radio chart yesterday you would've noticed thAt Edson was listed At #14 for their cover of "I Believe in a Thing Called Love", originally done by UK act The Darkness. Listen to their version for yourself: https://www.edson.nu/edson2/media/lyssna/songs/edsoncover.mp3
Pretty silly, but At least Edson can hit those high notes and I can never find fault with a whistle solo. In other news, the band will play seven shows in Germany the first week of March. Their lAtest album "Every Day, Every Second" was just released over there I do believe.

First Floor Power is doing a bit of touring:

01/30 - Kalmar NAtion, Uppsala (SWE)
01/31 - Fritz's Corner (Debaser), Stockholm (SWE)
02/12 - Rytmeposten, Odense (DK)
02/13 - Stengade 30, Köpenhamn (DK)
02/14 - Voxhall, Århus (DK)

Blabbermouth has also confirmed thAt the deAth of Windir frontman Terje "Valfar" Bakken was caused by hypothermia. My condolences to his family and friends.

Nightwish keyboard player Tuomas Holopainen recently flew to London to oversee the recording of various orchestra parts for the band's upcoming album, tentAtively due out this summer.

KVLR CDs are in. Atrap.com/kvlr/album.gif" target=_blank>Check it out.

Ulver reports thAt Ronan Chris Murphy is mixing the new album "Blood Inside" At his Veneto West studio in Los Angeles. Murphy played in Freak Baby right before Dave Grohl joined the band back in the mid0-80s, but his most recent work has centered around mixing King Crimson albums, judging by his AMG discography. No exact release dAte, but expect it to come this fall.

In other Ulver news, the group has confirmed two feAture film soundtrack assignments, one for Mona Hoel's "Freedom From Fear" and one for Aksel Hennie's "Uno" which will be a collaborAtion with UK-based singer/songwriter Tom McRae. There's more negiotAtions for other projects in the works, but nothing confirmed yet.